Abstract
Simple SummaryHunting of large game is an activity of great social and economic importance. However, it can cause public health problems due to the zoonotic diseases of these animals, such as tuberculosis. Regular space–time monitoring of hunted animals’ health status allows both the hunters and competent authorities to understand the geographic location of the hunted animals, as well as the occurrence of possible diseases in these animals. This investigation presents the results of the assessment of the spatial–temporal distribution of tuberculosis in large game in a tuberculosis high-risk area in Portugal in the form of maps, which allow any interested party to quickly analyse the hunting situation regardless of their technical or scientific knowledge.Since April 2011, Portugal has implemented specific national legislation (Notice No. 1/2011), defining “Epidemiologic Risk Areas for Bovine Tuberculosis in Large Game” and mitigation measures in these areas, including Idanha-a-Nova county. A GIS project was created to record information that would allow us to analyse the spatial–temporal distribution, both for hunting bags and tuberculosis occurrence, in hunted wild boar and red deer in Idanha-a-Nova. Hunting bag and tuberculosis-like lesion data were recorded during post-mortem inspection across 11 hunting seasons, totalling 9844 animals. The difference in tuberculosis occurrence for these species was statistically significant in nearly all 11 seasons, with wild boars presenting approximately twice the occurrence of red deer. No significant difference was noted before and after the Notice No. 1/2011 implementation. These results, following GIS-based spatial analysis, enable us to state that both large game species displayed an irregular tuberculosis pattern for the 2006–2016 period, and we identified some specific areas of high risk for both species. Southern areas of the county may be considered the priority for intervention. This research demonstrates the potential of GIS tools to evaluate, in the field, the results and efficacy of legislation such as Notice No. 1/2011, and to ensure the correct implementation of cost-effective mitigation strategies for tuberculosis in large game species.
Highlights
Animal tuberculosis (TB) is a serious animal health issue that has the risk of spreading to humans [1]
From 2006 up to 2016, 152 hunting sessions were surveyed in Idanha-a-Nova county, which involved 9844 animals (3963 wild boar and 5881 red deer)
The results demonstrated that the tuberculosis-like lesions (TBLs) occurrence in wild boars shows an increasing trend in the south–north direction
Summary
Animal tuberculosis (TB) is a serious animal health issue that has the risk of spreading to humans [1]. TB eradication in cattle is a priority in EU countries [2], and a major concern for the Portuguese Veterinary Authority. Portugal has a robust bovine tuberculosis eradication programme in place. Difficulties in eradicating TB in cattle could be related to TB occurrence in wildlife (large game animals), as they share common areas, such as water and feed points, as previously presented by some authors [2,3,4,5]. This epidemiological scenario led the Portuguese National Veterinary
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